Help identify vintage staggerd bolt sbc valve covers

I picked these up this weekend at the mn roadsters swap, never seen a set like them, they fit 265 283 chev staggered bolt heads, no stampings in them what so ever, anyone ever seen a set like them?

thanks
JEFF

 

Cool Jeff, I have never seen any like that!

 

Look really well made! Nice vintage score brother! Never seen any like those in all my days!

 

are the hold down bolts like thumbscrews or something?

 

I've seen tons of covers over the years but those are unique.

The drippers inside would make me think ******** racing.

very cool find

 

yep, aluminum thumb screws

 

Man, those will make a normal old mill look real *****in man!

 

real nice score different indeed...........

 

now i just have to find a mcgurk 6x2 or a criets 2x4 for a 265!

they are really cool.

JEFF

 

What's the purpose of the boss that runs vertically down the side, between the "upper" VC bolts? It looks in the third picture as if it's drilled,

 

That gasket flange is really unusual looking and almost appears to clamp further out than a stock chevy cover. Maybe it's just the pic.

Any chance they're stude covers or some other oddball that's real close?

Either way, neat score.

 

What had angled bolts like a chevy? Those are unique. Lippy

 

looks like its a vent

they fit right perfect on a 265 head i have

nothing that i know of.

JEFF

 

bttt for the night crowd, anyone??

 

still trying to identify these, dont think i ever will!

JEFF

 

I have been around for longer than I care to admit but I have never seen any like those. Great score.

 

Marine maybe ? The large blank area makes me think it was intended for some type of ID labeling .
I had a very odd intake once , #'s came up 58 Corvette but it was Aluminum , had an extra stud boss on the front , turns out it was made for a boat company

 

bttt

A bud said he may have seen em in a add on a custom rodder 62 ish maybe?

 

Very cool, never seen one like it in 40 years working on cars! Congrats!

 

Those are cool. I agree that the drippers make them hard-core race, as do the thumb screws (if they're original to the covers).

For your intake choice, i wouldn't use a Creitz... they don't have individual runners in the intakes, just a big plenum and four huge open ports running to the heads. I haven't tested one, but the thing has got to be a pig.

-Brad

 

I'll be damned, that does look like some kind of vent! It is on the side that has the bolts closer together, so would go up I think. Wild, man, wild.

 

Look for a cast in part number on the inside.. They might be exp covers from GM during the late 50's when Zora was messin' with the Cerv Vettes.... I could be wrong.

 

SOME factory GM engineering or experimental parts will have a lone "X" or a lone "O" cast on it somewhere.

Could also have a regular GM casting number preceded by an X or O
example: X3773382

Just for the sake of discussion,
here's a GM research and development photo of the 265 being mocked up for production.

 

You'll have a hard time finding heads that will fit them, but I have some old ****py stagger bolt heads, and I'll give ya fiddy bucks for 'em.

 

Ive got about 3 sets of staggerd bolt heads, one set from a really low milage 265 and a line on a runner 265 and my buddy has a running 283 with staggerd bolt heads that hell parts with, so thanks for the offer but om good on that part.

JEFF

 

First time I've ever "seen" some of these covers. I remember they were in a magazine back when as "New Products", perhaps the back of Rod & Custom or Hot Rod.

 

I would agree I saw a set on a early 60s "cuddy cabin" I beleive was the boat brand but I wouldnt swear to it . And it had regular bolts to fasten it and had a marine sticker on the cover .

 

They might be off of an early Henway. Didn't they use a few of the stagger-bolt SBC heads? They always seemed to have a lot of unusual stuff bolted to them......

 

New to me !

 

Very interesting and very cool! My guess would be
that they're GM experimental or prototype pieces
- possibly intended for a marine application. Those
cast in ribs on the inside of the covers look like
oil-drippers - for collecting and dripping extra oil on
the rocker balls. In the early days there was still
some question whether the then revolutionary
'stamped steel rockers, pivoting on stud-mounted
balls' would be reliable - and the oil-drippers might
have a bit of extra 'reliability insurance' for engines
running in a heavy-duty endurance-critical marine
application.

Mart3406
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